


Tea and Coffee

by moon_opals



Category: DuckTales (Cartoon 2017)
Genre: Amicable Exes, F/F, Fluff, Future Dates, New Beginnings, Romance, Selene Is HDL's Other Parent, Tea Is Better Than Coffee
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-23
Updated: 2019-09-23
Packaged: 2020-10-26 22:14:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,745
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20749592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moon_opals/pseuds/moon_opals
Summary: It's time for Della to say goodnight to what she never had.And it's time to say hello to what's been there all along.Makeup. Breakup. And move forward. You aren't alone this time, Della.





	Tea and Coffee

Selene was the first person to notice and address the elephant in the room. Under Aphrodite's tutelage, she sharpened her intuition in matters of romance. She'd taken her time following Earth's victory, and when Zeus was released, she called upon the waves to send her to where she was needed the most. It was all very casual. 

Under Aphrodite's tutelage, Selene was taught the enigmatic ways of the heart, and she sharpened her intuition in a variety of skills to make her an adept if aloof goddess. It'd taken her less than a second to return to Earth, and it'd taken her less than seven seconds to lock on Della's location. But she didn't mind waiting. Earth's victory was written in the stars - no matter Zeus' complaints - and she called upon the waves to send her where she was needed most. 

"You should ask her out for coffee."

Della didn't fall for the bait, though they knew she listened, but she conceded and gave Selene the attention she wanted. Selene leaned on the plane, arms crossed, and smirk abundant. A long time ago the thought of Selene's presence would've set Della's heart on fire. Now? Her heart continued to beat above a low, simmering ember. She didn't think it'd survive the night, and what made this realization worse was knowing Selene felt the same. 

Della concentrated on The Cloudchaser's repairs. She twisted the wrench and grinned like a child who reached the checkpoint of the hardest level.

Selene peered over, smirk breathing down her neck. “I know you heard me."

Her tone was unfathomable, a alteration she used when a prank was successfully crafted. Della straightened her back and let her attention stray to the goddess' ethereal glow that used to be her shining beacon in the dark night.

“What?”

“Ask her out to coffee,” she repeated. “Or you can go to Papa Swan’s. Storkules and Donald are there right now.”

Selene's casualness didn't properly underline the reveal, and Della did a double take. "Are you telling me," she shifted the conversation and twisted each syllable like a distorted stitch on an otherwise perfectly made quilt, "Storkules and Donald are dating? Actually dating?" She beheld the wrench in her grasp, saw its slightly ruined metal texture, and swallowed. "And no one told me?"

“They’ve kept it under wraps,” Selene explained. “They haven't told the kids."

“And you do?”

“Storkules is a terrible liar," she confessed. "He'd already told his roomates. I think he was worried I'd tell Dad."

"And you did?"

"No," she said distantly. "I didn't."

"And he has roommates?"

Selene's resonated deep from her stomach and stirred Della into temporary madness. "There's a lot you don't know yet," she soothed, closing the small gap they shared, "but don't worry, you will."

Her madness elevated, and Della swung to her, eyes wide. "It's about the boys," she murmured, lowering her head in shame.

Selene stayed quiet and smiled. "A little," she squeezed, and Della heard her tone falter. "Don't change the subject," she straightened. "This is about you and Penny."

“I was going to tell you,” she protested weakly. "I planned to tell you. All of you."

"I know you did," she smiled, never faltering. "And I know you planned to tell me about The Spear of Selene."

Their laughter erupted, and it was like they were transported eleven years back in time. It wasn't meant to last, this sensation, but they appreciated its touch anyway.

“Tell them when you’re ready,” Selene laid a hand on her shoulder. “And ask Penny out to coffee.”

Della scoffed derisively, adding an eye-roll to strengthen her point. "She and Launchpad -,”

“Went out three days ago and nothing more,” she finished, “and from what I know, he's in St. Canard."

Della raised an eyebrow.

“I moonlight,” she set her hands on her hips and cocked an eye towards the mansion. “So, what are you going to do?”

“She lets you call her Penny?”

Selene raised her hands defensively. "I am a goddess," she defended, "and most importantly, I'm her patron goddess. Khonsu is really upset with Lunaris right now.”

“I mean...she hated when I called her Penny at first. It was all ‘I’m Lieutenant Penumbra,’ and she’d try to impale me with her spear,” against her normal nature, she sighed and pressed a hand to her heart. “I miss those days.”

“So...ask her out to coffee,” Selene reiterated. “The worst thing she can say is no.”

“The worst thing she can say is yes with it blowing up in our faces.”

“Isn’t your family all about facing the unknown?”

She twitched involuntarily and swallowed her cold retort, but Selene was hot on her trail in that impeccably warm way.

“You didn’t let an alien armada stop you,” she punched her arm softly, with just enough force to push Della aside on the concrete. It didn’t hurt.

“Your point?”

Every nerve in her body was electrified at the touch of her fingers. Selene caressed Della's cheek, reminding Della of a butterfly cracking the silk flesh of its cocoon, it’s wings sticky upon rebirth. She swallowed deeply, determined to maintain some sense of dignity and reassured there was an absence in this touch, something that had been there that was no longer.

“You shouldn’t let fear stop you now,” she chuckled sadly. 

“Last time I crashed, I lost a leg and my family,” she swallowed, drenching her pants in sweat and oil. “I don’t want to lose her.”

Selene got on one knee. Her touch on her shoulder tightened. “I don’t think you can get rid of her that easily,” she teased. “Della, I love you, but you’re a handful. She stuck with you after everything. Just have a little faith. At least this time, you won’t crash alone.”

She released her just like that, as if it was no consequence at all, and she turned away to the back yard where the children were. Della watched her leave. Sadness couldn’t be avoided, but she was relieved regret wasn’t an inhabitant too. Grabbing her toolbox, she started on an opposite path to the mansion, unsure of where she was going to begin.

* * *

She wasn’t looking for her, not necessarily, but she found her anyway. She washed her hands in the downstairs restroom and went to the kitchen for a sandwich. Her surprise was apparent when she stopped in the tv room and saw her there, sitting on the sofa as the television played the season premiere of Ottomon Empire.

Della was prompted to ask about the show when she spotted a tea kettle and set on the coffee table in front of her. She brought a warm cup of tea to her mouth and sipped quietly, humming as she did so.

“Well, who knew you were a fan of tea,” Della teased, hoping it would be enough to distract her red cheeks. “Good to see you’re adjusting.”

Penumbra scrutinized her, nodding her assent while knowing Della was already at her side, hair brushing against her upper arm.

A moment passed, then two, they sat in a strangely comfortable silence.

“It’s not as terrible as I expected,” she stared at her teacup reflection. “Coffee I mean.”

Della huffed out triumphantly. “I told you so,” she patted her knee. “Enjoyed LP?”

“L...P…oh, you mean Launchpad.” She straightened a little. “It was...interestingly disappointing.”

“Really?”

“Yes.” She returned to the television, soon realizing as the silence ensued this was the part where she elaborated on their outing. “What do you want me to say?”

“Did you have fun?”

“It was acceptable,” she frowned - a default expression. Della pressed silently. “He seems more occupied with the purple idiot.”

“Darkwing Duck.”

“Yes,” she said slowly, “Darkwing Duck. What is he?”

“He’s a Hero. A hero LP admires and is hopelessly in love with.” It didn’t sound like too much when she said it aloud. Launchpad’s love for the man was no less apparent than Storkules’ for Donald. As much as Launchpad annoyed and frustrated her, there wasn’t any shame for wanting him to be happy.

“In love with,” Penumbra tested the sentence and considered her tea. “Hm...interesting. When we returned I found your uncle drinking this. He offered me some. It was not horrible.”

“You prefer it over coffee?”

“A little, yes,” she smiled weakly. “It is softer and not as harsh, but also not as sweet. Nutmeg, he said.”

“He’s always loved it.”

“Would you like some?”

Della snorted, a decline on her tongue when she happened to notice Penny’s faint yet visible violet darkening on her cheeks. On anyone else, a blush wouldn’t perturb or interest her, but seeing it on her - her best friend - stirred her heart to understanding.

“I...I...haven’t had nutmeg tea in a long time,” she inhaled. “And the times I’ve had it haven’t ended well.”

“I see.” Her violet cheeks didn’t fade. “I have tried coffee and nutmeg tea and chili dogs and celery. It has been an...experience, and it has come to my understanding that...some old things can become new if tried differently.”

“Losing the thread, Penny.”

“I mean Earth is vast and new, but it’s domesticity is the same. The kindness of its people is no different than the kindness of my own people, though I’ll admit my people have a long way to go in completely earning Earth’s trust.”

“So you want me to be kind?”

Penny laughed. It was a hoarse, grating sound, but oddly soothing. “I want you to have some tea with me, moon menace, and what happens, happens.”

“If I lose you?”

“Della,” she scoffed in a laugh, “we both know you’re worse than a mite. You won’t lose me easily.”

It was dangerous, and for the second time in her life she didn’t feel as steady going off into the unknown. But Penny was right there, sitting next to her as she held a lukewarm cup of nutmeg tea.

“Okay,” she slapped her knees. “I’ll like a cup.”

The tea was sweeter, richer than she last remembered. Della smacked interestingly, tasting the differences between memory and reality, and she glanced at Penny, waiting for her response.

“Did Scrooge make this?”

“No, of course not,” she snorted. “His was satisfactory. I wanted a little kick.”

“It’s good. It’s better.” Della giggled, “Don’t tell him I said that.”

Penumbra grabbed her hand and smiled. “I promise,” she reassured. “Your secret is safe with me.”

**Author's Note:**

> Wanted to write a Dellumbra story for the longest and finally gave it a go. Love the 'enemies to lovers' trope.


End file.
